Tyrannosaurus Rex
Tyrannosaurus rex is a species of carnivorous theropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous. It appeared in nine Sunday strips and four weekday strips, and was mentioned in a few more comics. Tyrannosaurus rex is the most frequently seen dinosaur in Calvin and Hobbes; the second most frequently seen is Allosaurus. This is due to both dinosaurs, particularly the former, having received considerable exposure in popular culture and thus being viewed as quintessential large, threatening dinosaurs. Calvin the Tyrannosaur/ Tyrannosaurus Calvin the Tyrannosaur and Tyrannosaurus (rex) are recurring alter egos of Calvin's. Calvin the Tyrannosaur 3/13 1988 Calvin the Tyrannosaur (identified as just Calvin) first appeared in this 1988 Sunday strip, which is known for an error in its coloring. In it, Calvin's alter ego slaughtered a Triceratops in order to eat it. At first, it snapped, ripped and crushed savagely, but after some reflexion, began eating at a slower pace, utensils in hand, "mortified that someone might see it". Calvin the Tyrannosaur was here analogous to Calvin's poor table manners. In this appearance, Calvin the Tyrannosaur was colored greyish-beige, with a lighter underside. Its body was parallel to the ground, in a stance supported by the fossil record. It had a smoothly sloping, somewhat conical head, subtle brow, a sagging throat and red eyes. Its teeth were exposed like a crocodile's. It bore patches on its torso and legs. Its arms were thick and had two fingers. 8/14 1988 Calvin the Tyrannosaur (identified as Calvin, the Tyrannosaurus) reappeared in another 1988 Sunday strip. In it, the seven-ton alter ego was widely feared by other dinosaurs, which fled upon his arrival. As a result, it was forced to tackle large prey, an endeavour that, according to Calvin, ultimately caused the Tyrannosaurus' extinction. Calvin the Tyrannosaur was here analogous to Calvin attacking his mother while acting out a dinosaur fantasy. In this appearance, Calvin the Tyrannosaur's color scheme was greyish-mauve. It had a longer, less conical snout, more flexible neck, larger cheeks and a pointed brow. It gained a ridge of bumps on its back. Its arms had thinned, and appeared less muscular. Third appearance Calvin the Tyrannosaur (identified as Calvin, the Mighty Tyrannosaur) appeared one last time in this Sunday strip. In it, the dinosaur reveled in the aftermath of a kill. Letting out a "triumphant roar", in tune with Tyrannosaurus' 12/9/1987 appearance, it indulged its appetite – reinforced by the struggle with its prey – in "a disgusting spectacle of savage gluttony". Calvin the Tyrannosaur was here analogous to Calvin eating the sweets he had obtained at Halloween, while trick-or-treating in a dinosaur costume. In this appearance, Calvin the Tyrannosaur was colored dark bluish-grey, with black stripes atop its neck and tail. Its thigh muscles were very large, taking up half of the torso's legnth. It had a roughly sloping snout, no prominent brow and red eyes. Judging by its dentition, its teeth probably fit inside its mouth instead of being bared, crocodilian-style as in its previous appearances. Its arms were more visibly jointed, and their thickness tapered down from the body to the fingers, as in a human arm. ''Tyrannosaurus'' 4/29 1986 Tyrannosaurus, the alter ego, first appeared in this 1986 weekday strip. In it, the alter ego anachronistically devoured a group of cavemen one by one. In this appearance, Tyrannosaurus''had a light underbelly and a dark back. It stood upright, contrary to scientific belief that it walked parallel to the ground. It had a crocodilian snout with a thick, arching brow and a sagging throat. It bore patches on its torso. Its arms were alternatively two- and three-fingered, depending on the panel. Note: This is the first appearance of a dinosaur in ''Calvin and Hobbes. 10/12 1986 Tyrannosaurus reappeared in this 1986 Sunday strip. In it, Tyrannosaurus attacked a "saber-toothed tiger", established as the giant dinosaur's sole adversary. The dinosaur's attempt failed, and it "tore like heck" to avoid his enemy. This attack was a work of complete fiction, depicting the saber-toothed cat (the actual term for the inaccurately named "saber-toothed tigers") as larger than its actual size and placing it in the same time frame as the dinosaurs. Tyrannosaurus was here analogous to Hobbes chasing Calvin for disturbing him in his sleep: at the time, Calvin was enacting a dinosaur fantasy. In this appearance, Tyrannosaurus ''was light purple. Its body had thickened over its last appearanceIts head still bared bared teeth out of a closed jaw, but the snout had widened and its brow had thinned, making it less crocodilian. Its patches had given way to rough, scratch-like markings. Its underside was ringed, and possibly striped, or otherwise heavily shaded. The arms were longer, three-fingered and heavily jointed, and resembled those of an Allosaurus''. 5/17 1987 Tyrannosaurus reappeared again in this 1987 Sunday strip. In it, Calvin experienced an unexplained transformation in an art museum, which turned him into a tyrannosaur that devoured a security guard. Calvin's parents were present at the time, but their outcome was unspecified. However, at least some of the other patrons (identified as "wealthy benefactors") were said to have been "trampled", possibly to death. The alter ego seemed to enjoy the destruction, and vowed to ruin the town's Symphony Hall in the same way. Tyrannosaurus was here analogous to Calvin distracting himself at the art museum, after a visit to the Natural History Museum, by taking in a dinosaur fantasy. In this appearance, Tyrannosaurus looked not unlike 3/13 1988's Calvin the Tyrannosaur. Its color was inconsistent within the strip, but matched the latter's in one panel. Its finger count alternated between two and three, depending on the panel. 12/9 1987 Tyrannosaurus reappeared once again in this 1987 weekday strip. In it, the alter ego boasted of its combat abilities, which put to use its purported (inaccurate in reality) twenty tons of mass. To illustrate its claim, the dinosaur took down a ceratopsid and roared in triumph. Tyrannosaurus (specifically, his "triumphant roar") was here analogous to Calvin yelling in the library, presumably during a dinosaur fantasy. In this appearance, Tyrannosaurus had a very stout, thick neck and head. Its finger count was once again alternate. 8/31 1988 Tyrannosaurus reappeared yet again in this 1988 weekday strip. In it, the alter ego existed in the present day, much like the 5/17 1987 Tyrannosaurus. The setting, however, was not an art museum but a grocery store. Once more, only a single victim was seen, and the dinosaur seemed to enjoy the destruction, emphasizing it in its narration. Tyrannosaurus was here analogous to Calvin destructively enacting a dinosaur fantasy at the grocery store. In this appearance, Tyrannosaurus had a pointed brow, and a longer, thicker neck than in its previous appearance. Its formerly featureless skin now bore bumps, patches and scratch marks, and its finger count had dropped to a scientifically accurate two. 11/19 1988 Tyrannosaurus reappeared once more in this 1988 weekday strip. In it, the reptile stalked a coastline, boasting of its ability to invoke terror, due to its mass and speed (it was said to "run faster than a charging rhino"). However, it was silenced upon hearing the "blood-curling roar" of its mother. Tyrannosaurus was here analogous to Calvin being berated by hs mother for the noisy footfalls he made while acting out a dinosaur fantasy. In this appearance, Tyrannosaurus was a light color on his body, and a dark color on his tail. Its head had an even more pointed brow, and the rough slope had given way to a gradual tapering of length and width. Its skin became plainer, bearing subtler versions of the features from 8/31 1988. 10/1 1989 Tyrannosaurus reappeared once again in this 1989 Sunday strip. In it, a Tyrannosaurus suddenly appeared in the recess court of Calvin's school. It began to feed on the children, first those on top of the swing, then those which had been lined up by staff to hide in the school. Once it had emptied the playground, the dinosaur roared triumphantly to celebrate his dominion; The alter ego expressed the same appetite for rampaging and inducing panic as in his 5/17 1987 and 8/31 1988 appearances. Tyrannosaurus was here analogous to Calvin staying on the playground during class to partake in a dinosaur fantasy. In this appearance, Tyrannosaurus was colored brown, with light and dark patches on different parts of its body. Its torso was round and compact, in contrast to the longer, thinner body of its previous appearances. Its lower jaw had shrunk since its last appearance, and the brow had lost its point. Unnamed appearances A few Calvin and Hobbes strips contain unidentified dinosaurs that are probably Tyrannosaurus Rex, judging by the size of the arms and the resemblance to other depictions of T. rex in the comic. 2/6 1987 The unidentified Tyrannosaurus alter ego first appeared in this 1987 weekday strip. In it, Calvin took part in a dinosaur fantasy as he was coming to dinner. His mother then joked that "no dinosaurs are allowed at the dinner table", but the alter ego was resigned to dine and sat down, utensils in hand. Calvin justified this behavior by stating that "dinosaurs eat anywhere they want". In this appearance, Tyrannosaurus was lightly colored. 2/7 1988 Tyrannosaurus reappeared in this 1988 Sunday strip. In it, In this appearance, Tyrannosaurus was colored greyish-purple, with a mauve underside. Category:Dinosaurs